Water heater



T. KING WATER HEATER Feb; '1 7, 931.

Filed Aug.- 1-5, 1928 &

45 thereof, but said section being wider at the Patented Feb. 1-7, 1931UNITED sr res PATENT QFFICE f 'rnoivrson KING, or ro'r'rs'rown,rnivnsvnvan a, ASSIGNOR a 'rnn rnnniinss HEATER COMPANY,'0F- BoYEnrowN,PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or PENN- SYLVANIA WATER HEATER,

' Application filed August 15, 1928. Serial No. 299,653..

My invention relates to. heaters comprising a series of similar unitsections adapted to be connectedin varying numbers in accordance withthe desired capacity of the heater; and particularly to such heaterswherein eachsection is provided with an indivdual gas burner so thateach of said sections is, to that extent, independent of the others, andecon omy ofoperation is attainable by rendering 0 more or less of saidsection burners operative and inoperative in accordance with variableseasonal requirements. v

, As hereinafter described, my inventionineludes features ofconstruction and arrangement of a heater section which is formed ofasiiigle casting and which facilitate the circulation of Water therein.

My invent-ion includes the various novel featuresfof construction andarrangement v tween said outer conduits obliquely upward hereinaftermore definitely specified.

In said drawings; Fig. I is avertical side edge viewof a single metalcasting forming a unitary heater section embodying my improvements. 7 l

Fig. II is an elevation of the right hand side of said section, as shownin Fig. I.

' Fig. IIIis av fragmentary plan sectional view, taken on the line III,III in Fig. II.

Fig. IV is a fragmentary sectionalview,

so taken on the line IV, IV in Fig. II.

In said figures; the heater section 1 is a 1 single casting of metal, ofinverted U-shape,

having opposite parallel plane surfaces 2, 2 with spacing ribs 3extending outwardly therefrom adapted to contact with similar spacingribs upon adjoining sections to facilitate the assembling of saidsections, shaped as shown in Figs. I to, IV'inclusive, in parallelrelation; said ribs serving to retain between them any suitable cementby which the joints betweensaid sections may be sealed.

Said casting 1 comprises two outer verticallypendent water leg conduits4-, at oppoe i site edges thereof; the lower ends of said legs beingcloser. together than the upper ends bottom than at the top.

The upper ends of said pendent leg con top, and intermediatelof theheight, of said section; Said intermediate section 6 forms the top wallof the combustion chamber or .fiIS bQX 'Z, the opposite side walls ofwhich" areformed by said leg conduits 4i. Said'top section 5 andintermediate sect on 6 are con nected by two inner vertical waterconduits V 8, parallel with and spaced between said outer verticalconduits 3 and .4. Said inner conduits S are shorterat their outer sides9 than'at their inner sides 10 so that the water spacefinsaid section isof greater cross sec tional area at its upper corners 12 than elsewhere; which facilitates the circulation'of waterias'hereinafterdescribed.

- Said outer (IOlIClLllllS-d1116(2O11Ile(l36l with said intermediatehorizontal conduit 6 by two oppositely counterpart oblique waterconduitslet, respectively extending inwardlybefrom the latter andmerging into said intermediate condu t 6 respectively in alinement withsaid nner vertical conduits 8 so that direct water passageways-areformed from the lower ends of said oblique conduitsla 'to the top of theheater section 1 and respectively leading into the-large corner spaces12,,from

leg conduits 4 thru the oblique conduits letand superimposed conduits8is induced not only by the fact that said oblique conduits 14 are ofsmall cross sectional area and overhang the burner 19 or other source ofheat, but also due to the provision on each of said conduits l l of aseries of transversely extending annular outwardly projecting ribs 21which are preferably outwardly tapered and form a series of passageways22 between'them for the products of combustion escaping from the chamber7 intothe flues 15. By'such construction, the surface ofsaidfconduits'la, exposed to the heat, is very much greater inproportion'to the volume of water in said conduits 14: than in any otherportion ofsaid heater section; thus causingthe water in said conduits14: to be heated to a'higher degree I thanin any otherportion ofthesection and thus inducing rapid upward currents of the water,directly, vertically, thru said conduits 14 and 8 and thus effecting themaximum rapidity of re-circulation of the water from and to said pendentlegs 4 which is attainable in such a section. Moreover, the surfaces ofall of said conduits 4, 5, 6 and 8 which are exposed to the products ofcombustion in the fire-box 7 and lines 15,16 and 17 is very muchaugmented, for a given dimension of the sec- 'tion, transverse to itsplane, by forming each of saidconduits as a hexagonal prism, asexemplified in Figs. III and IV, with double plane sides in angularrelation presented inwardly toward the source of heat, instead of flatsurfa es at right angles to the general 7 plane of. the section, as'inthe prior art. Of course, suehangular faces present a greater heatabsorbing area than if such conduits had but a single plane faceextending transversely to the general plane of the section. However,both the outer and inner surfaces of said oblique conduits 14 arecurved, as indicated in 'Figs. II and III, to facilitate the passage ofwater thru them and the circulation of the products of combustionaroundthem thru said passageways 22. I

Each such section 1 has a plurality of water ports upon opposite sidesthereof, form-- ing transverse passageways forcirculation ofwaterbetweenadjoining sections; thru.

push nipples 24; such ports being exemplified at 25, at the lower endsof said vertical leg conduits 4 and at 26, at the middle of saidtopconduit 5. The respective ports 25 and '26 have individual annularflanges 28 and 29 surrounding the same in spaced relation therewith, asindicated in Fig. II, and extending outwardly from the opposite planesurfaces 2 of said section to the same extent as the spacing ribs 3, asindicated in Fig. I. Said port flanges are adapted for connection withmeans for sealing said sections in smoke-tight relation at said ports.Such means may include suitable cement which is held, in annular form,within and between the adjoining port flanges, as indicated at 30 inFigs. I and II.

In order to conduct the hot water from such a heater to the radiatingmeans of the heating system connected therewith; I provide the section 1with a hot water discharge neck 31 at the top thereof, intermediate ofits width and in communication with the transversely extending ports 26.Such construction and arrangement, in unitary relation with the section,avoids the cost and trouble of providing, and connecting a separatemanifold with the respective heater sections. r

In order to maintain a series of such sections 1 assembled in coupledrelation, as above contemplated, I find it convenient to provide eachsection with a plurality of bolt flanges 32 with apertures 34 for bolts35, which are provided with nuts, etc., for rein the appended claims.

taining them in assembled relation. As indicated in Fig. II; two of saidbolt flanges 32 are at the top of the section immediately adjoining saidneck 31 and serve to brace the latter in connection with the top wall ofthe section; and two of, said flanges are respectively at the outeredges of the lower portions of said leg conduits 4, where they brace theoutwardly extending port portions of said conduits 4 in connectionwiththe outer walls of'the latter; v

The lower ends of said legs 4 are conveniently arranged closertogetherthan the upper ends thereof, to afford an upwardly increasing area forthe fire-box 7 the upper space therein, for the products of combustion,being wider than the fuel space at the bottom thereof and thus allowingfor the increase in volume of the fuel incident'toits' combustion.However, said section 1 is, neV- erthelest', wider at itsbottom than atits top and thus affords a very stable construction and arrangement toresist suchlateral stresses as may be imposed upon it by expansion andcontraction of the heat radiating system aforesaid connected with thedischarge neck However, I do not wish to limit myself to unitary heatersections each having all of the features of improvement aforesaid, as itis obvious that various modifications may be made therein withoutdeparting from the essential features of my invention, as defined Forinstance, the heat absorbing ribs may be alike on both the oblique,sigmoidally curved, conduits 14, e., either all horizontal or all inplanes which are radial with respect to the centers of curvature of saidconduits the former permitting passage of products of combustion withgreater facility, and the latter affording a greater mixing andagitation of said products and retarding their traverse thru thepassageways between said ribs and thus affording a greater facility forheat absorption;

I claim:

1. In a heater section, a singlecasting of inverted U-shape comprising ahorizontal water conduit and apair of depending hollow legs formingconduits communicating with said horizontal conduit, each of saidconduits being hexagonal in cross section,with single plane sidesthereof at the opposite plane surfaces of said section, and with doubleplane sides in angular relation presented inwardly toward the fire-box;whereby the inner faces of said conduits, toward the firebox have areater heat absorbin area than b V b 7 1f said faces were in a slngleplane; two oppositely counterpart obl que water conduits,

-.of less diameter than the least diameter of said hexagonal condu ts,respectively extends ing upwardly from said legs to said horlzontalconduit, merging into both and formsaid oblique conduits have a greaterheat absorbing effect than the other portions of said section andconsequent greater heating effect upon the water therein, and induce arapid circulation of the water obliquely upward in said section from theouter to the inner portions thereof; inducing a downward circulation inthe upper portion of said legs, with maximum water heating eificiencyofsectionhaving adischarge neck at the mida dle of its top section, withits axis extending vertically; said section having four bolt fiangeswith'apertures for bolts whereby adjoining sections may be heldtogether;-two of said flanges being respectivelyat the outer edges ofthe lower portions of said leg conduits, and two of said flangesbeingrespectively at opposite sides of said neck; the apeertures thru saidflanges having their axes parallel and at'right angles to the plane'faces'of said sections. Y

ln'testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Boyertown,Pennsyl- Vania, this seventeenth day of July, 1928.

THOMSON KING.

the section; said section having intermediate vertical conduits, inspaced relation betweensaid outer leg conduits, respectively inalinement with the upper ends-of said oblique con 1 duits and extendingdirectly vertically to the water space in the top of said section; saidwater space, at the top of said section, b i

of greater area at the corners of said section than elsewhere;wherebythe rapid'oirculation of the water to and from lique conduits isfacilitated.

2. In a heater'section; a single castingof inverted U-shape, havingopposite parallel" plane surfaces, with spacing cribs proJectingoutwardly therefrom; said casting comprising two outer verticallypendent water leg conduits at opposite edges thereof, the lower ends ofsaid legs being closer together than the upper ends thereof; and saidupper ends being connected by two horizontal water conduits,respectively at the top, and intermediate of the height, of saidsection; said'top and intermediate conduits being connected 7 by twoinner vertical water conduits, parallel with, and spaced between, saidouter vertical conduits and shorter attheir outer edges than at theirinner edges; each of said conduits being hexagonal in cross section;said outer conduits being connected with said intermediate horizontalconduit, by two oppositely counterpart oblique water conduits, extendingbetween said outer conduits, ob liquely upward from the latter, andrespectively merging into said intermediate con' duit in alinement withsaid inner, vertical conduits; each of said oblique conduits beingcurved upon its outer surface and provided with a series of horizontallyextending,

said ob I parallel, outwardly projecting ribs; each of said ribs beingoutwardly tapered; said sec tion having water ports upon opposite sidesthereof respectively at the lower ends of said vertical leg conduits andat the middle of said top conduit; each of said ports having an annularflange, surrounding the same, for

connection with meansfor coupling said sect1on with ad o1ning, similar,sections; said

